US594382A - Signaling system - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. A. CHASE.

SIGNALING SYSTEM. No. 594,382. Patentaj Nov. 30, 1897.

' rm: uomus Pnzns co woroumm. wAsMmuM. D-

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A. CHASE.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

No. 594,382. Patented Nov. 30,1897.

' I 1". I 93717 6 zwmz, I fzbm M Nrrnn STATES PATENT rrrcn.

HENRY A. CHASE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE METROPOLITAN DUPLEX FIRE AND POLICE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,382, dated November 30, 1897. Application filed a y 23, less. Renewed May 22, 1897. Serial No. 637,799. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, HENRY A. CHASE, residing in Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an- Improvement in Signaling Systems, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a system for transmitting signals, and is especially designed and adapted to be used for fire and police signal work. In police signaling systems as now constructed and hereinafter referred to as straight police systems the transmitting apparatus is so made as to transmit a plurality of different or distinguishing signals to indicate at the receiving station different messages or purposes. The distinguishing signals referred to consist of a number of impulses indicative of the box and one or more additional impulses indicative of theparticular signal transmitted. The different signals commonly employed in police signaling systems are designated route-signals and want-signals. The route-signals referred to indicate the particular route or circuit upon which the box is located, and are usually designated as route 1, route 2, 850., and the want-signals indicate the more important signalssuch as the wagon, ambulance, and telephone calls. The route-signals transmitted from a box comprise the box-number, followed or preceded by one or more distinguishing impulses, and as now commonly practiced these signals are recorded upon a strip or tape at the receiving-station in one or more short marks additional to the box-number. The want-signals in straight police systems as now commonly constructed are usually distinguished from the route-signals by longer marks, which are commonly called dashes, and the different Wantsignals are distinguished from each other by the number of the dashes which accompany the box-number. The Want-signals being the most important signals are now accompanied by an alarm or audible signal, usually a continuous-ringing bell, whichis rendered operative or active by the substantially longdistinguishin g impulse of the want-signals, the said audible signal in straight police systems as now constructed being inactive or silent during the reception of the route-signals.

My present invention has for its object to provide a system having an audible signal, with a controller for said audible signal constructed and arranged to render the audible signal responsive to selected or predetermined impulses or breaks irrespective of the length of the said impulses or breaks,whereby the said audible signal may be made to respond to long or short breaks in the circuit, as desired, thereby enabling my improved system to be used for straight police Work, and particularly adapting it for use in a combined fire and police system, in which the firesignals may operate an audible signal and in which any desired police-signal may also operate an independent audible signal without operating the fire-alarm audible signal, so that the fire service is kept distinct from and independent of the police service, and vice versa.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have chosen to illustrate the audible signal as a tap-bell operated by an electromagnet, which is governed in its action by a controller, as will be described, the said controller being constructed with relation to the transmitting mechanism of the boxes or apparatus, so as to render the audible signal inactive or non-responsive during any desired portion of the rotation of the break-Wheels comprising the signal-transmitting apparatus and to permit the said audible signal to become active or responsive during the remaining portion of the rotation of the break-wheel.

' The particular features in which my invention consist will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents in diagram a sufficient portion of a signaling system embodying my invention to enable it to be understood; Fig.

2, a detail of a portion of the recording strip or tape to be referred to, and Figs. 3 and at modifications to be referred to.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the battery of a main line or circuit, including, as herein shown, substations or boxes A, which may be of any usual or well-known construction now commonly used in police and like signaling systems or which may be of substantially the construction shown in United States Patent No. 472,983, granted to me April 19, 1892, each of the said boxes containing a signalt-ransmitting apparatus constructed to transmit a plurality of distinguishing or different signals. The transmitting apparatus of each box may be of any usual or well-known construction; but in the present instance I have illustrated substantially the same construction of transmitting apparatus as is shown in the patent above referred to, it consisting of a break-wheel a, indicative of the box-number, and additional break-wheels 2 3 4 5, provided with distinguishing teeth a which eooperate with the break-wheel a to form particular or distinguishable signals. The breakwheels a 2 3 a 5 are mounted on a common shaft a, and the wheels 2 3 4c 5 are arranged with relation to the break-wheel ct, so that the additional breaks occur in the present arrangement after the box-number has been transmitted, as will be described. The breakwheels 2 3 l 5 are mounted on a shaft a, so as to practically form part of the break-wheel a. The shaft a is set in rotation by a suitable motor mechanism actuated by a starting mechanism, usually a pull bar or hook. (Not herein shown, but such as now common in boxes of this class.) The break-wheel a, as shown in Fig. 1, has provided on its periphery a series of substantially fine teeth or notches a of a number and arrangement to indicate the number of the box,which in the present instance is box 36. The break-wheel a has coopcrating with it, as herein shown, two pens or circuit-terminals c c',normally in contact with each other and connected, respectively, to the line-wires Z Z,leading,respectively,to the positive and negative poles of the battery A, the pen 0 normally resting upon or in contact with the periphery of the break-wheel a. The linewire Z, as herein shown, is connected to a contact strip or bar 50, which is engaged by a contact-brush 51 on an arm 52, fast on a shaft 53, which in practice is rotated by means of a pointer. (Not shown, but substantially as described in the patent referred to.) The arm 52 is provided with a second contact-brush 54, adapted to be brought into contact with segmental strips 01 (32 03, connected, respectively, by wires (55 6G 67 68 to a pen or terminal c of the circuit-terminals cooperating with the break-wheels 2 3 l 5. The pens c of the various sets of circuit-terminals cooperating with the break-wheels 2 3 4 5 are connected by branch wires 70 71 72 73 to the line-wire Z. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the break-wheel a is cut away for substantially one-half its periphery, so that in its rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon the pen a will not make contact with the wheel and consequently will drop away from the pen 0, thereby opening the main line at the break-wheel a; but it will be noticed that while the line is open at the break-wheel a it is closed by one of the auxiliary Wheels 2 3 4 5, except when a signal other than that indicated by the break-wheel is desired to be transmitted to the receiving instrument. The operation of substantially the same transmitting apparatus is more fully described in the patent above referred to.

The circuit of the battery A has included in it at the receiving end or station an electromagnet or relay I), provided with an armature b, cooperating with a back-stop o The armature b and the back-stop 1) form terminals of a local circuit L, provided with a battery b the said local circuit also preferably including the electromagnets of a register or recording mechanism R of any usual or wellknown construction, one pen-magnet b of which is shown as controlling the operation of a marking device or pen U, which in the present instance is represented as carried by the armature Z1 of the said electromagnct, the marking device or pen cooperating with the tape Z) of the said register.

The registering mechanism, which may be of any usual or well-known construction, is provided with a starting electromagnet, which may be the electromagnet included in the local circuit L, the said starting-electromagnet controlling the operation of the register.

The local circuit L may and preferably will normally include in it a substantially small tapper-bell b located in a branch or shunt circuit controlled by a circuit controller, shown as a switch I), which is preferably normally open.

In the rotation of the break-wheel (I, the relay b responds to each break in the main line caused by a notch or tooth on the breakwheel, and the breaks or impulses thus produced are in the present instance recorded upon the tape 1) of the register, and upon the small bell Zf when the switch is open, the breaks in the main line made by the fine teeth or notches a being recorded in substantially short marks on the tape, as shown in Fig. 2, and the breaks made by the teeth or notches a on the wheels 2 3 4 being recorded on the tape in substantially long marks, as indicated in Fig. 2.

As represented in Fig. 1, the fine teeth or notches a are located on substantially one half the circumference of the break-wheel a, and the wider teeth or notches a on the additional wheels 2 3 4: are located on the other half of their circumference, so that when the wheels at 2 3, &c., are fastened on their shaft a the wide teeth will be on one half of the circumference and the fine teeth on the other.

The substantially wide teeth or notches a may represent an important signal-as, for instance,an ambulance-callthe reception of which is signified at the receiving-station by the sounding of an emphatic audible signal, which is shown in the present instance as a substantially large tap bell or gong Z9 having its striker or hammer Z9 secured to the armature 12 of an electromagnet 19 It is the object of this invention to control the audible signal 79 so that it may respond to selected or predetermined impulses, which may be the impulses occasioned by the teeth or notches on one half or part of the breakwheel and will not respond to .the impulses occasioned by the teeth or notches on the otherhalf or part of the break-wheel. This object is accomplished by means of a controller, shown in the present instance as a disk Z9 provided with a cam or enlarged portion Z7 which extends substantially half around the disk Z7 to correspond to one-half or portion of the transmittingbreak-wheel a. The cam 19 has cooperating with it circuitterminals 19 5 shown as pens or brushes normally in contact with each other and which are represented as included in the local circuit L and also as connected to the coils of the electromagnet I), the pen Z9 being connected to the wire I), to which is connected the wire 19 of one coil of the said magnet, and the pen Z1 being connected to the wire Z1 to which is joined the wire 17 of the other coil of the magnet b. It will thus be seen that as herein represented the electromagnet b is included in a normally-closed shunt or branch of the local circuit L, the wire 17 being joined by the wire I9 to the wire b joined to one coil of the magnet of the bell b the other coil of which is connected by wire I) to the wire I), joined to the back-stop 19 The wire 6 is connected by wire 19 to one coil of the magnet b the other coil of which is connected by wire Z9 to one coil of the pen-magnet b the other coil of which is connected by Wire Z9 to the negative pole of the battery b the positive pole of which is joined by wire b 110 the armature b. The controller or cam-disk Z7 is operated, as shown, by a motor represented as a weight WV, attached to a cord w, wound upon and secured to a drum 10, fast on a shaft or arbor b, on which the cam-disk is mounted. The shaft or arbor Z2 is also provided, as shown, with a .detent-disk Z9 having a notch or opening in its periphery, into which is normally extended a detent 19 on the armature I) of the electromagnet b the said armature being pivoted, as at b The detent Z9 normally holds the controller or cam-disk b stationary, but when the armature b is attracted by its magnet 19 the said cam-disk is free to be revolved by the weight WV or by any other suitable, motor mechanism, such as a clock mechanism.

The operation of myimproved system when used for straight police-work may be briefly described as follows: When the transmitting apparatus or box is operated, the shaft to and the break-wheels mounted thereon are rotated in the direction indicated by arrow 20, and the main line is opened by the breakwheel aas each tooth ornotch a passes under the pen 0, cooperating with the break-wheel (1, thereby demagnetizing the relay Z7 and closing the local circuit L, and in addition the main line is opened by the additional teeth or notches a on the wheels 2 3 4, substantially as described in the patent referred to. On the first closure of the local circuit L, occasioned by the first fine tooth or notch a the magnets 11 and b are energized. The magnet b when energized attracts its armature b and releases the cam-disk I2 permitting the latter to be revolved in the direction indicated by arrow 21, with the cam portion Z1 in contact with the terminal Z9 and the said terminal is thereby kept in contact with its cooperating terminal while the breakwheel a is making substantially one-half of its revolution, and during such time the relay 1) is operated by the teeth or notches a indicative of the box, and the local circuit L is closed, thereby energizing the magnets 17 and b and the magnet of the bell Z1 if the switch 6 is open, as shown, for each break in the main line occasioned by a tooth or notch a in the break-wheel a. v

The signal indicated by the fine teeth a which signal, as shown in Fig. 1, is the boxnumber 36, is recorded upon the tape 19 in a series of substantially short marks, as represented in Fig. 2, and during the reception of this signal the emphatic audible signal Z7 is inoperative or non-responsive, owing to the fact that the terminals Z9 Z1 are maintained closed by the controller or cam-disk, but after the cam portion Z) of the said controller has passed from under the pen or terminal Z9 the circuit-terminals Z1 Z9 become separated and the bell-operating magnet 17"" is included directly in circuit with the local battery b so that when the main line is again broken by a tooth or notch a on one of the auxiliary break-wheels the magnet Z7 is energized on each closure of the local circuit and the audible signal or hell Z1 is sounded.

The circuit of the local battery, when the bell Z2 is non-responsive, may be traced as follows, viz: from the positive pole of the battery I) by wire I)", armature b, back-stop b wires Z1 Z1, bell-magnet Z2 wires Z9 Z2 Z9 the switch Z9 being open, to the terminal I), thence by terminal I), wires Z7 12 magnet b wire b magnet b and wire h to negative pole of the battery b WVhen the terminals b b are opened, as above described, the circuit of the battery 11 maybe traced as follows, viz: from the positive pole of the battery I) by wire Z7 armature 1), wires 5 bell-magnet Z2 back-stop b wires Z9 1) b magnet Z9 wires 12 b magnet o wire b magnet 19*, wire Z2 to negative pole of battery.

The transmitting mechanism or breakwheels a 2 3 4: may be provided with any desired number of distinguishing teeth or notches a within the limits of the periphery of the wheel, and, if desired, the route-signal as well as the important or want signals may be indicated by the audible signal. For instance, the break-wheel 2 may be provided with only one tooth or notch a which might indicate route 1. The break-wheel 3 may have two teeth a to indicate route 2. The break-wheel I may have three teeth a to denote telephone, and another wheel (not shown) may have four teeth a to indicate a wagon-call. In this case the distinguishing portion of each signal is audibly sounded, one blow of the bell Z1 signifying route 1; two blows, route 2 three blows, telephone; four blows, wagon; five blows, ambulance, &c.

In some instances it maybe desirous to receive the route-signals without the audible signal U and this may be accomplished by providing one half or part of the break-wheel with one or more fine teeth or notches a additional to the box-number and indicative of the route-signal, as represented in Fig. 3, so that not only the impulses indicative of the box-number are received by the relay I), while the audible signal Z1 is maintained non-responsive by its controller, but also the said relay will receive the impulses transmitted by the teeth a which maybe one or more, while the audible signal is maintained non-responsive by its controller. In this case only the want or important signals will be audibly indicated by the bell Z1 I have herein shown the audible signal as a tap-bell, and while I may prefer this construction when all the signals are to be audibly distinguished, as described, I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the audible signal may be a bell adapted to ring continuously, it being located in a local circuit controlled by the electrom agnet D in substantially the same manner as the continuously-ringing bell V is controlled by the magnet or relay R shown in United States Patent No. 359,687, dated March 22, 1887, to which reference may be had.

I prefer to employ the small tapper-bell U, which is responsive to all the breaks or impulses in the main line, as by so doing additional precaution is taken against loss of signals by reason of inoperativeness of either the bell I) or the register, substantially as described in my patent referred to; but if it is desired to render the small tapper-bell nonresponsive the operator throws the switch I) to connect the wire U with the wire I! and thereby cut out the bell Z).

I have herein shown the electromagnet I), controlling the operation of the audible signal U as located in a normally closed branch of the local circuit containing the register R, the circuit-terminals of the said branch being held normally closed by the controller; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the said audible-signal-eontrolling electromagnet may be located in an independent local circuit having normally open circuit-terminals independent of the armature and back-stop for the relay and adapted to be operated by the controller to be closed by the same in its revolution, as represented in Fig. at, in which the relay-armature Z) is provided with two back-stops I) (Z, one of which, as If, is connected in circuit with the penmaguct Z) and the other, (Z, of which is connected in circuit with the electromagnet If", it being connected by wire (Z to one pole of the battery (V, the other pole of which is joined by wire (Z to one coil of the pen-magnet Z), the other coil of which is joined by wire (Z to one circuit-terminal Z1 the other terminal D being connected by wire (Z to the armature b of the relay Z).

\Vith the apparatus constructed as shown in Fig. the circuit-terminals 0 1/ remain separated during substantially one half of the revolution of the controller or cam-disk 11" and are closed during the remaining part of the revolution, so that during the first part of the revolution of the cam-disk D the local circuit of the magnet b when closed by the relay remains open at the terminals, but during the remaining part of the revolution of the cam-disk the terminals are closed and the local circuit of the magnet 11 put into 0011- dition to be closed, so as to energize the magnet U" when the relay is operated.

I have thus far described my invention as applied to what may be called a straight police system; but I do not desire to limit myself in this respect, as it is particularly well adapted for use in a combination fire and police systemthat is, a system substantially such as shown and described in my patent referred to, in which are employed transmitting boxes or apparatus capable of transmitting a signal in one kind of characters when the box-door is closed and also capable of transmitting the same and additional signals in another or different kind of characters when the boXdoor is open.

In a system having transmitting-boxes of the kind justdescribed the signal transmitted with the box-door closed is the fire-signal and is composed of long impulses or breaks and operates a slow relay and a fast relay, as described in my said patent, the slowrelay operating the fire hell or gong (not herein shown) and the fast relay operating the register and the small tapper-bell Zr, as described in said patent. \Vhen the box-door is open, all the signals are for the best results transmitted in short impulses to avoid operating the slow relay and thereby the fire-signal, and when all the polieesignals are transmitted in short impulses the route-signals may be received without the audible signal 6 or its equivalent continuous-ringing bell, and only the want-signals may operate the audible signal L This can be effected by constructing the controller I) to bring the magnet into circuit after or before the box-number is received and by making the route-signals substantially as shown in Fig. 3.

I claim 1. In a signaling system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a sig- ICC \ responsive to each additional impulse indicative of the different signals, substantially as described.

2. In a signaling system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, Viz: a signal-transmitting apparatus constructed to transmit a plurality of different signals,a receiving instrument or relay responsive to all the impulses transmitted by said apparatus,

a local circuit controlled by said relay and provided with a branch having circuit-terminals, an electromagnet included in said branch controlling the operation of an audible signal, a circuit-controller for said circuitterminals and an electromagnet controlled by said relay and governing the operation of the circuit-controller, the latter acting on the circuit-terminals to render the said audible signal responsive to selected or predetermined impulses received by the relay, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a signaling system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a signal-transmitting apparatus constructed to transmit a plurality of different signals, a receiving instrument or relay responsive to all the impulses transmitted by said apparatus, a local circuit controlled by said relay and provided with circuit-terminals, an electromagnet in said local circuit controlling the operation of an audible signal, a circuit-controller cooperating with the said circuit-terminals to render the audible-signal magnet responsive to predetermined impulses received by the relay, and an electromagnet operated by the relay and governing the operation of the said circuit-controller, substantially as described.

4. In a signaling system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a signaltransmitting apparatus constructed to transmit a number of impulses indicative of the apparatus and additional impulses indicative of diiferent signals, of a receiving instrument or relay responsive to all the impulses transmitted, an audible signal normally passive or non-responsive to the impulses indicative of the apparatus, and a controller for said audible signal governed by the relay and constructed and arranged with relation to the signal-transmitting apparatus to maintain the audible signal passive or non-responsive to a predetermined number of the impulses transmitted by the said apparatus and to cause the said audible signal to respond to each impulse additional to the said predetermined number of impulses, for the purpose specified.

5. In a signaling system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a signaltransmitting apparatus, constructed to transmit a plurality of special signals, each comprising a number of impulses indicative of the apparatus, and one or more additional impulses indicative of the particular signal transmitted, a receiving instrument or relay responsive to all the impulses comprising the special signal, a local circuit controlled by said relay, a register included in said circuit, a branch or shunt circuit for said local circuit including an audible signal and provided with normally closed circuit-terminals, a circuitcontroller for said circuit-terminals, and an electromagnet in the local circuit controlling the operation of the circuit-controller, the said circuit-controller rendering the audible signal passive or non-responsive to some of the impulses of the transmitting apparatus, and active or responsive to other impulses of the said transmitting apparatus, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY A. CHASE.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

Images